Vending-machine.



A? 3 Ji l if L.'v. KUHN.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, '1911.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS v. KUHN, OF-COLUMBUS, 01110.

VENDING-MACHINE.

: Specification of 'Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

. Application filed July 10, 1911. Serfa1No.fi37, $19.

To all whom it may concern Be "it known that 1, Louis V. KUHN,a

citizen of the United States, residing at ing machine wherein theinsertion and travel by gravity of a coin to a certain point, renders apusher slide operable for ejecting the articles to be vended.

My improvement is primarily designed for the vending of blocks ofchocolate of'a small size and in fact such a size as is ordinarilyvended for a penny. The vending machine shown is particularlyconstructed for use upon the back of an opera chair and in consequenceof this use and the compactness of form which is essential, theprovision of a minimum number of parts commensurate with eflicientoperation, is of prime importance. Furthermore, an extremely importantfeature in the production of my improved type of vending machine residesin the provision of what might be termed an eXpansible mouth for thecoin magazine, the expansion of which mouth serves to release the pusherslide. In other words, the actual release of the pusher slidenecessarily results in the depositing of the coin by the same operationand without relying upon the gravity fall of the coin which isfrequently uncertain and which may frequently 1 be defeated by a veryrapid operation of the device. The vending machine is further guardedfrom unauthorized tampering with by the provision of an automaticallyclosing gate at the opening through which the vended articles areejected. This is capable of a performance and double function, in thatthe chocolate is subjected to a frictional gripping action in itsejectment and by the resultant pressure of the gate, is prevented frombeing entirely ejected from the orifice of the magazine and is, in otherwords, held in position for removal by the operator. But for theprovision of such a device, the vended article would be ejected andthrown upon the floor. 7

In the magazine containing the vendible articles, I desirably provide anautomatic follower'for successively moving the articles into positionfor ejectment and the structure of my vendingmachine is such that thefollow'er, wh en the "articles are all ejected, will move intopositionto prevent reciprocation ofth'epuslier slide regardless ofwhether or not a coin is inserted. For a preliminary warningas tothe'emptiness of themachine, I preferablyprovidea numberof sightapertures in thecasing and these may "be supplemented'bythe provision ofa signal carried by the follower at a-proper point for display of thesame when the machine is empty.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown inth'e-accompanyingdrawings,

in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts,and in which:

Figure 1 isa "front'e'l'evation of my vending machine in assembledcondition, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of-the'vending machine with theface removed, Fig. 3 is an edge elevation partly broken away of themachine, and, Fig. lis a section taken online 44 of Fig. 2 looking inthedirection of the arrows.

The structure shown in the drawings, comprises acasinghaving twoparallel channels 1 and'2, an enlargement 3 at the upper end of thechannel 1, holes for the reception of screws as 'at 4, a longitudinalrib 5, and a second rib. 6 spaced therefrom. The upper end of the casingis provided with a slideway for the pusher slide and such upper end iscut away, whereby a controlling hand piece may project'through the saidcasing for manual control. The upper edge of the casing is furtherprovided with pierced lugs 7 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.The enlargement 3 of the casing is formed thereon to facilitate thesupport of a gate 8 which is resiliently held closed under normalcondition by a torsion spring 9 mounted upon its pivot. As the articlesare ejected through this gate 8, they are successively subjected to. africtional gripping action, owing to the tensionof the spring 9 and arethereby prevented from total ejectment from the machine.

The internal mechanism of my machine preferably comprises a follower 10of U form and having an extension arm 11 embracing the rib 5 and slidingthereon. The follower 10 is normally moved in one direction, that is, ina direction to force the articles to be vended to the ejectment openingby a tension coiled spring 12 connected to the arm 11 at one end and toa stationary point at the opposite end. The follower 10 is desirablyprovided with a cross bar 10 having a signal word of some kind appliedthereto, such as shown in the drawing. It will be understood that thecakes of choco late or other articles to be vended, are placed in frontof the follower 10 and the spring 12 automatically moves the articlesinto proper position as each article is ejected.

The ejecting means is desirably in the form of a pusher slide as shownat 13 having a notch 14 in its under surface near one end and carrying ahand piece 15 upon its upper surface adapted to project through the slotin the upper edge of the casing. The pusher slide 13 is further providedon its under surface with a projection 16 and with a lug 17 to which isconnected a return spring 18 suitably mounted in the casing for thepurpose of returning the slide to normal position after operation. Aplate 19 is mounted near the upper end of the casing and above the coinmagazine 2, just below the pusher slide 13 and carries upon its outersurface a guide rib 20 of a thickness to conveniently occupy the spacebetween the plate 19 and the cover plate 30. This guide rib is desirablyprovided with a lateral extension 21 having an aperture therein whichcoacts with a pierced lug 22 near the lower edge of the plate to form abearing for a sliding locking pin 23 having its end angularly disposedas at 24: and fitting within the claw 25 of a controlling element 26 ofapproximately the same thickness as the guide rib 20. This controllingelement 26 is preferably of substantially rectangular form having theabove mentioned claw at one end and having one of the corners oppositeto said claw pivoted to the plate 19 with its directly opposing cornerprotruding into the mouth of the coin magazine. The free or claw end ofthe controlling element is desirably provided with a pierced lug 27 orsome means of attachment for a tension spring 28 normally maintainingthe controlling element in such a position that the locking pin 23 isheld in the notch 14 of the pusher slide 13.

The mouth of the coin magazine is in reality formed by the lower pointof the rib 20 and a lug 29 carried by the plate 19. However, thecontrolling element 26 is so mounted that its corner projects into thismouth and forms a yieldable wall therefor to support the coin in amanner to be de scribed hereinafter.

The facing or cover plate for my machine as shown at 30 is of a shape toconform with the shape of the casing. At the upper end this facing plateis formed on its inner surface with a slight longitudinal groove 31 topermit a free and non-frictional sliding operation of the pusher slide.Upon the outside of its upper end the facing plate is further providedwith reinforcements 32having pins 32 vertically mounted therein. At

its base the said plate is provided with a lock 33 of any preferredtype, the bolt of which is adapted to coact with a keeper lug 34 mountedjust within the casing on'its lower edge. Near the upper end of theplate there is provided an aperture 35 for the insertion of the coin.This aperture 35 is disposed between the rib 20 and the projection 16 onthe pusher slide. The plate 30 is further provided with a series ofsightopenings 36 which are cooperative with the signal bar upon thefollower 10 to indicate when the magazine for the vendible articles isempty. It will be understood that when this magazine is empty, the bar10 is im mediately beneath the sight apertures 36. Futhermore, it willbe apparent by reference to the showing of the position of the follower10 when the magazine is empty, defined by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,that the follower will be in a position to lock the pusher slide 13against operative movement, since the said follower is then disposeddirectly in the path of such pusher s ide. Consequently, it will beunderstood that the vending machine will receive no more than one coin,at the most, without issuing an article therefor. 7

In operation, it being understood-that the magazine for the vendiblearticles is loaded, a coin is inserted in the opening 35 upon its sideand immediately falls by gravity against the rib 20 and is directeddownwardly thereby until it lodges between the controller element 26 andthe lug 29. The hand piece 15 is then grasped and the pusher slide 13moved inwardly. Such inward movement brings the projection 16 intocontact with the penny and forces it downwardly into the magazine, whichdownward movement of the coin into the magazine necessarily swings thecontroller element upon its pivot and releases the locking pin 23, thuspermitting the pusher slide to continue its movement and eject thearticle to be vended. In this ejecting action, the gate 8 is forcedoutwardly and automatically returns to position after the ejectment.When the hand piece 15 is released, the spring 18 serves to return thesliding pusher to normal position. Also, it will be understood that thespring 12 causes the follower to automatically present the articles andmaintain them in position for ejectment.

It will be understood that the face plate of my machine is placed inposition by inserting the pins 32 in the apertured lugs 7. The lower endof the plateis then moved into position and the key may be turned .tocause the belt of the lock 33 to cooperate with the keeper lug 34.

It will be seen from this, that I have provided an extremely simple andcompact structure and one wherein the coin is simultaneously renderedefliective as a releasing medium for the pusher slide and deposited inthe coin magazine. In this manner, all danger of a duplication of theaction, is practically obviated.

What I claim, is:

A coin controlled vending machine comprising a casing, a plate Withinsaid casing spaced from one Wall thereof to form a channel for adeposited coin, a guide rib carried by said plate occupying the spacebetween said plate and its cooperating wall, a pusher member, aprojection carried by said pusher and acting in conjunction With saidrib to form a coin gate, a slidably mounted lock engaging said pusherand with which said pusher has a limited lost motion engagement, acontroller element for the lock comprising an angular block pivoted atone corner disposed between said plate and its cooperating Wall, theadjacent corner projecting into the path of a coin passing through saidgate, and a spring serving to normally hold said lock in engagement withsaid pusher and said element disposed to intercept a coin in its passagethrough said ate.

g In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

LOUIS V. KUHN.

Witnesses:

J OHN HLEAGLESON, EDWIN P. CoBBETr.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. 0.

